About Acronicta menyanthidis (Esper)
Acronicta menyanthidis, commonly known as the light knot grass, is a moth species belonging to the family Noctuidae. Its distribution spans northern, central, and eastern Europe, extending eastward to Siberia and the Russian Far East. This moth has a wingspan ranging from 33 to 41 millimeters. Its forewings are bluish white, covered in fine dark grey dusting and shading, with a short black streak originating near the base. The marginal area of the forewing is darker, and may sometimes appear blackish grey, while the orbicular stigma is quite small. Several named aberrations of the species exist. In the aberration suffusa Tutt, the entire forewing is suffused with dark grey. The aberration obsoleta Tutt has a uniformly pale forewing with all markings faint. In contrast, the aberration scotica Tuff, found on the west coast of Scotland, is larger and brighter than the typical form, with all markings clear and distinct. Adult light knot grass moths fly at night from May to July in the British Isles; flight seasons may differ in other regions of the species' range. Adults are attracted to light. Recorded host food plants for this species are Myrica, Calluna, Vaccinium, Salix, Betula, Ranunculus aconitifolius, Comarum palustre, Lysimachia nummularia, and Menyanthes trifoliata.
